Oil saver



July 19, 1932. E J BECK 1,867,559

OIL SAVER Filed March 25, 1931 V B C JLMM 5 5;; fi/for y Patented July19, an

ERNEST BECK, 0F LONG- BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR "1'0 BLACKWELL & SUE,INCQBPQEATED, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA -A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA on;snvm' Application filed March as, 1931. Serial n mecca.

This invention relates to a. device for use in well drilling operations,and relates more particularly to an oil saver. It is a general object ofthe "invention to provide a simple,

'51 practical, and effective oil saver for packing girl-{sealing about areciprocating cable, or the An object of the invention is to provide anoil saver that is adapted to be mounted on to the upper end of a wellcasing and which includes a packing gland or packing assembly forpacking about a cable, or the like, extending into the well.

It is another object of this invention to 15' provide a packing orsealing device of the character mentioned that embodies a novel andimproved means for releasably locking or latching the packing gland inthe body. It is a feature of the present invention that W thereciprocation of the cable about which the packing is arranged tends tomore tightly lock or set the packin gland against movement and cannotpossi 1y cause its loosening or displacement. $55 A- further object ofthe invention is to provide an oil saver of the character men-= tionedthat is simple and sturdy in construction and that is inex ensive ofmanufacture. Other objects and eatures of the invention M will be bestand more fully understood from the following detailed descrifption of atypical form and application 0 v throughout which description referencewill be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal detailed sectional view of the device, showingit mounted on the upper end of a well casing and packing,

about a cable extending into the well. Fig. 2 is a reduced top or planview of the device. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse detailed, sectionalview, taken asindicated by line 33 on Fig. 1.

The device provided by the present invention includes, generally, atubular body adapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing C,a packing means or packing gland 11 in the body for packing about a' tocable 12 extending into the casing G, and

. openin the invention...

. on the projectin means 13 for releasably locking the packing means 11in the body.

The body 10 is adapted to be mounted on the upper end of the well casingC and is provided to carry the packing means 11. The body 10 is tubular,having a central longitudinal or vertical 0 ening 14. Theupper or majorportion or the opening 14 is of round cross section and is of uniformdiameter. The lower end portion 15 of the body is of reduced diameter toprovide an annular upwardly facing shoulder 16 in the opening 14. Thelower reduced ortion 15 of the body is externally screw readed to threadinto the upper end of the well casing C or into a coupling, or the like,onl'the casm The packing means or gland llis provided to pack about andwipe liquid from the recifprocatingcable 12. In the articular form 0 theinventionillustrated 1n the drawmg, the packing means 11 includes anelongated packin carrier 17 carrying the packing 18 for sea ing aboutthe cable 12. The carrier 17 is tubular having a central lon itudinal 19ior containing the pee ing 18. Any suitable form of packing 18 may bearranged in the'opening 19 to pack about and wipe the cable 12. Aninwardly projecting annular flange 20 is provided at the lower end ofthe packing carrier 17 'to support the packing in the opening 19. Abronze bushing 40 is provided in an opening in the flange 20 to pass thecable 12. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, theacking carrier 17 projects a considerable distance above the upper endof the body 10. A tubular compression gland ornut 21 is screwthreadedinto theupper end of the housing 19 to compress the packing 18. The nut21 is formed of bronze, or the like, and isprovided at its upper endwith a pol gonal head 22 to receive a wrench, or the like.

The means 13 is provided to hold the packing carrier 17 againstdisplacement from the body opening 14. The means 13 releasabl looks orlatches the packing carrier 1; against longitudinal movement relative tothe body 10 and includes a nut '23 threaded upper end part of the pacgcarrier 1 The nut 23 is preterably connected with thecarrier bycomparativel hea or coarse threads, as illustrated in Fig. 1 thedrawing. A polygonal portion ma be provided at the extreme outer 5 endof t e carrier 17 to facilitate its engagement by a wrench, or the like.The nut 23 completely covers. the upper end of the body and is providedat its lower end with a downwardly projecting annular flange 24. Thevflange 24 overhangs or surrounds the upper end part of the body 10 tocenter the nut 23 and the carrier 17 relative to the body. A suitablegasket 25 may be provided between the nut 23 and the upper end of thebody 10. Means may be provided whereby the nut 23 may be readily engagedby a wrench or spanner. Spaced openings or sockets 25 are provided in"the nut 23 and a reduced polygonal upper end 26 is provided on the nut.

A sleeve 27 is provided in the opening 14 to surround the inner end partof the packing carrier 17. The sleeve 27 is freely slidable 'androtatable in the opening 14 and freely passes the carrier 17 withsuitable clearance.

' A bronze cap 28'is screw-threaded into the lower end of the sleeve 27to receive the lower end of the packing carrier 17. The cap 28 engagesthe shoulder 16 to support the sleeve 27 in the opening 14. A centralopening 29 is provided in-the cap 28 to freely ass the cable 12. Aplurality of spaced ba s 30 are carried by the sleeve 27. The balls 30are arranged ina row of symmetrically spaced openings 31 in the sleeve.The row of open- 35 i 31 is preferably spaced a short distance be ow theupper endof the sleeve 27. The balls 30 are rotatably or swivellysupported in the o nin s 31 and are adapted to engage the wa of t eopening 14 and the exterior of the packing carrier 17." In accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the invention, the balls 30 areretained against displacement from the openings 31. The outer ends ofthe opemngs 31 are of reduced diameter, while the inner edges of theopenings are .peaned over to retain the balls.

The lower end portion of the packing carrier 17 is shaped to cause theballs 30 to tightly bind or wedge between the carrier and the wallsofthe opening 14. The lower end part of the packing carrier 17 is flared,having a downwardly and outwardly inclined exterior. The slope orinclination of the exterior of the lower part of the carrier 17 ispreferably gradual. The nut 23 may be threaded downward on the carrier17 to clamp against the upper end of the body 10 to hold the carrier in.position where the balls 30 are tightly wedged between the ta- .0 peredpart of the carrier and the walls of the opening 14 to effectively holdthepacking carrier against longitudinal movement in the body. It will beap 'arent that any tendency for the carrier 1 to move upwardly, duetoreciprocation of thecable 12, causes be readily apparent from theforegoing de- 23 downward against the body.

the balls 30 to more tightly set the carrier against movement.

It is believed that the operation of the oil saver provided by thepresent invention will tailed description. The packing carrier 17 may beinitially set in the desired position by threadin the nut 23 downward toclamp against the upper end of the. body 10. Pressure of the nut 23against the upper end of 7 the'body 10 causes the carrier 17 to'assume aposition where its flared lower end wedges against the spacedballs 30 totightly clam the balls between the carrier and the wal of the body. Itwill be apparent that the packin carrier 17 cannot become loosened ordisp aced by reciprocation of the cable 12, as any outward movement ofthe carrier 17 caused bymovement of the cable causes the taperedexterior of the carrier to co-operate with the spaced balls 30 to moretightly lock the carrier against movement. The packin carrier 17 of thesleeve 27 may be easily an quickly removed from the bod 10 by firstremoving the body from the casmg C inverting the oil saver, looseningthenut 23 and then shifting the packing carrier 17 upward to release theballs 30. After the balls 30 are released the carrier 11 and sleeve 27may be easily lowered out of the bod. opening. In practice, the carrier17 may e removed by firstj loosening the nut 23 and then bringing theswab or other tool on the cable 12 into lifting engagement with the capl28. This causes the balls 30 to release so t at the tool may lift thesleeve and carrier from the body. It is to be noted that the presentinvention provides an oil saver that is particularly effective inpacking about and wiping a cable, or the like, and that will operateover a long period of time without becoming loosened or is laced byreciprocation of the cable. The pac g carrier 17 may be clamped astightly as desired in the body by threadin the nut he pack.- ing holdingor latching means embodied in the present invention is particularlydependable and effective, as it does not embody threaded parts, or thelike,-liable to loosening or releasing by movement of the cable. Thepacking carrier 17 may be easily and quickly removed for the purpose ofreplacing the packing, etc.

Having described onl a typical, preferred form of my invention, do notwish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish toreserve unto myself any chan es or variations that may appear to those sed in the art, or fall within the scope of. the fol: lowing claims:

Having described In invention, I claim: 1. An oil saver of t e characterdescribed including, a tubular body adapted to be a packing gland foracking about an object extending through t e body, and meansforreleasably retainmg the packing gland in the body, said meansincluding a tapered portion on the gland a sleeve in the bodysurrounding the glan and balls carried by the sleeve to wedge betweenthe tapered portion of the gland and the body.

3. An oil saver of the character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing, a packing glandfor packing about an object extending through t e bod and means forreleasably retainlng the pee ing gland in the body, said means includina tapered portion on the gland, a sleeve in t e body surrounding thegland, balls carried by the sleeve to wedge between the tapered portionand the body, and means for holding the gland in a position where theballs are wedged'between said tapered-portion and the body.

4. An oil saver of the character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing, a packing glandfor packing about an object extending through the body, and means forreleasably retaining the packing gland in the body, said means inclu g atapered portion on the gland, a sleeve in the body surrounding thegland, balls carried by the sleeve to wedge between the tapered portionand the body, a nut threaded on the gland for holding the gland in aposition where the balls are wedged between the tapered portion and thebody.

5. An oil saver of the character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing, a packingvgland for achng about an object extending through t bod and means forreleasably retaining the pee ing gland in the body, said means includinga tapered portion on the gland, and a ball between the tapered portionand the y.

6. oil saver oi the character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing, a packing glandfor packing about an object extending through the bod and means forreleasably retaining the aching gland in the body, sald means lnclu inga tapered portion on the gland, a ballabetween the tapered portion andthe body, and a nut threaded on the gland to we r the ball between thetapared portion i the body.

7 An oil saver of the character described ,nut threaded including twoelements, one a tubular body adapted to be mounted on the upper end of awell casing, the other a packmg carrier in the body for passing anthrough the bod pack about the o ject, and means for retainobjectextending packing in the carrier to ing the carrier in the bodyincluding a tapered portion on one of the elements, and a ball betweenthe tapered portion and the "other element.

8. An oil saver of the character described including two elements, one atubular bodyadapted to be mounted on the upper end of a well casing, theother a packing carrier in the body for passing an object extendingthrough the body packin in the carrier to pack about the o Ject, anmeans for retaining the carrier in the body including a tapered portionon one of the elements, a sleeve,

and a plurality of balls carried by the sleeve to wedge between thetapered portion and the said other element.

9. An oil saver of the character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on a well casing, a packing carrier in the bodyadapted to pass an object extending through the body, packing in thecarrier to pack about the object, and means for retaining the carrier inthe body including a flared portion on the carrier having a down-'wardly and outwardly inclined exterior, and a plurality vof ballsbetween the dated portion of the carrier and the interior of the body.

' 10. An oil saver of the-character described including, a tubular bodyadapted to be mounted on a well casing, a packing carrier in the bodyadapted to pass an object extending through the body, packing-in thecarrier to pack about the ob ect, and means forretaining the carrier inthe bod including a flared portion on the carrier aving a downwardly andoutwardly inclined exterior, a plurality of spaced balls between theflared portion of the carrier and the interior of the body, and meansurg the carrier A ll upwardly. to wedge the he s flared portion and thebody. I

11. An oil saver of the character described including, a tubular bodyadated to be,v mounted on a well casing, a pee carrier in the bodyadapted to ass an o ject extending through the ho y, packing in thecarrier to pack about the ob'ect, and means for retaining the carrier int e body including a flared portion on the carrier having a downwardlyand outwardly inclined exterior, a sleeve in the body surrounding thecarrier balls carried by the sleeve to be between the flared ortion ofthe carrer and the interior of t e body, and a on the carrier to act'against the and move the carrier 11 wardly to wedge t e balls betweenthe flared portion of the carrier and the y.

12. w oil saver of the character described between the including, atuhular body adapted to be carrier mounted on a well casing, a pack' assan ,o ject exin the body adapted to tending through the carrier to pacabout the ob ect, means for compressing the packing in the carrier, andmeans for retaimng the carrier in the body including a flared portion onthe carrier hav- I ing a downwardly and outwardly inclined exterior, anda plurality of balls between the flared portion of the carrier and theinterior of the body.

In witness that I claim the fore oing I have hereunto subscribed my namet is 16th day of March, 1931.

ERNEST J. BECK.

y, packing in the

